U.S. patent number 4,571,851 [Application Number 06/634,819] was granted by the patent office on 1986-02-25 for slippers.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Tama Pack Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Masao Yamada.
United States Patent |
4,571,851 |
Yamada |
February 25, 1986 |
Slippers
Abstract
A slipper is formed with a sole defined by an outlined edge and
having a predetermined length from the front end to the back end
thereof, the sole being composed of a toe of a predetermined width
defining the front end thereof, a foot inserting part having a
predetermined minimum width located adjacent to the toe and
progressively and symmetrically enlarged to a predetermined maximum
width from the toe toward the back end of the sole, the foot
inserting part having pressed bend lines extending slightly inside
and along both edges thereof respectively to define the opposite
marginal parts which may be spontaneously bent up when pressed to
each other, a reduced part having both sides connected to the end
of maximum width of the foot inserting part by edges extending with
an acute angle from the end of maximum width of the foot inserting
part to the reduced part on both sides thereof, a heel part
progressively enlarged from the reduced part toward the back end of
the sole. The slipper is further formed with instep arranged on the
foot inserting part in a strained state, the instep being made of a
filmy material and having both sides adhered to the underside of
the sole on both sides thereof.
Inventors: |
Yamada; Masao (Akishima,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Tama Pack Co., Ltd. (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
26396192 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/634,819 |
Filed: |
July 26, 1984 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
|
|
Apr 14, 1984 [JP] |
|
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59-55298[U] |
Jun 18, 1984 [JP] |
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59-126191 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/11.5;
36/9A |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B
3/106 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A43B
3/10 (20060101); A43B 003/12 (); A43B 001/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;36/11.5,10,9R,9A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Jaudon; Henry S.
Assistant Examiner: Graveline; T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ziems, Walter & Shannon
Claims
I claim:
1. A slipper comprising a sole defined by an outlined edge and
having a predetermined length from a front end to a back end
thereof, said sole being composed of a toe portion of a
predetermined width defining the front end thereof, a foot
inserting part having opposite side edges defining a predetermined
minimum width longitudinally spaced from said front end and
progressively and symmetrically enlarged to a predetermined maximum
width toward the back end of said sole, said foot inserting part
having pressed bend lines extending slightly inside and along said
opposite side edges thereof respectively to define opposite
marginal parts which may be spontaneously bent up when pressed
toward each other, said sole having a reduced part connected to
said maximum width of said foot inserting part, said reduced part
having edges extending at an acute angle from both sides of said
maximum width toward the back end of the sole, a heel part
progressively enlarged from said reduced part toward the back end
of said sole and defining a maximum width adjacent said back end,
and an instep arranged on said foot inserting part in a strained
condition, said instep being made of a film material and having
both sides adhered to said opposite marginal parts of said foot
inserting part, said length of said sole being of a dimension
aproximately twice as large as that of said maximum width of said
foot inserting part when the latter remains flat, said toe portion
having a width of a dimension approximately a half of that of said
maximum width of said foot inserting part, and said maximum width
of said heel part being of a dimension larger than that of said
maximum width of said foot inserting part when said opposite
marginal parts are pressed toward each other and spontaneously bent
up.
2. The slipper as defined in claim 1 wherein said sole is made of a
corrugated cardboard.
3. The slipper as defined in claim 1 wherein the width of said toe
portion approximately corresponds to 1/4 of the length of said
sole.
4. The slipper as defined in claim 3 wherein the width between said
pressed bend lines at the opposite juncture edges between the
maximum width of said foot inserting part and said reduced part
approximately corresponds to 3/8 of the length of the sole.
5. The slipper as defined in claim 4 wherein the minimum width of
said foot inserting part approximately corresponds to 1/4 plus 10
mm of the length of said sole.
6. The slipper as defined in claim 5 wherein said toe portion is
defined by a pressed bend line traversing transversely of the width
of said sole and being inwardly spaced from said front end of said
sole, at which said toe may be spontaneously bent up while said
slipper is used.
7. The slipper as defined in claim 6 further comprising a part
provided between said heel part and the back end of the sole, said
part being defined by a pressed bend line traversing transersely of
said sole and being inwardly spaced from said back end of said
sole, at which said part may be spontaneously bent up while said
slipper is used.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to slippers in general, and more particularly
relates to the disposable slippers which may be used especially by
the people who enjoy travels in a long-distance train or a
sight-seeing bus, and by the inpatients as well as the outpatients
of a hospital. The slippers are well designed to be comfortable to
wear preventing the heels of feet from being soiled on the
floorboards. Moreover the slippers may be produced at an extremely
low cost and may be easily reclaimed to new products.
So far many slippers have been proposed for the purposes as
mentioned above. These slippers, however, have been insufficient to
comply with the requirements such as to be comfortable to wear, to
prevent the socks from getting dirty on the floorboards, to be
produced at a low cost with an efficient productivity, to be easily
disposed after the slippers have been used, and so on. It will be
proper to explain the prior by way of an example in FIGS. 1 and 2
showing one of the older slippers which is now actually reduced to
practice. The slipper 1 has a sole 2 made so narrow as is designed
in match with the soles of foot in general, and especially the heel
part 2a is particularly narrow. The sole 2 is made of a cardboard
which is covered with upper and lower sheets 4 of synthetic resin
which are welded to each other by heat-treatment along the edge 4a
of the sole. The slipper 1 has an instep 5, which is made of the
same material with that of the cover sheets 4, welded by
heat-treatment on both sides 5b thereof to the cover sheets 4 at
the edge of the slipper. The instep 5 is folded at the intermediate
parts 5a thereof to maintain the slipper flat when the latter is
unused, such that the instep may be unfolded when the slipper 1 is
used.
According to the prior art as mentioned above, since the heel part
2a is so small and narrow, the heel of foot is liable to protrude
out of the heel part 2a of the slipper 1 when the user walks around
in the places as mentioned above and when the user makes himself at
home including his or her legs in the outward directions, for
example, in the long-distance train. As the result, the socks are
partly pressed against the floorboard and get dirty. It is well
known that the travellers in general even in their seats in the
long-distance train will relax themselves inclining their legs more
or less in the outward directions, instead of strictly posing in
their seats. It is therefore a fatal defect for those who have neat
habits that the heel part of slipper is small and narrow.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of manufacture, the sole 2a
of the conventional slipper 1 is designed irrespectively of the
fitness in a sense of economically cutting out the form from a
material such as the cardboard. It is therefore unavoidable that
there will be left much amount of useless part of the cardboard
after the forms have been cut out. Further since it is required
that the instep 5 of the slipper 1 is folded at the intermediate
parts 5a thereof with predetermined angles and predetermined
dimensions, such additional manufacturing process and equipment
therefor will be needed. Further since the cover sheets 4 is
required to be welded by heat-treatment to each other along the
edge 4a of the sole 2 and also the instep 5 is required to be
welded by the same manner on both sides 5b thereof to the sheets 4,
so many additional manufacturing processes and heat equipment will
be needed. As the result, the manufacture cost becomes rather
high.
Further from the viewpoint of the disposal after the slippers have
been used, since the cover sheets 4 and the instep 5 are made of
synthetic resin of a considerable thickness and of considerable
dimensions and these may not be recycled, it becomes very difficult
to dispose of the used slippers if they are released in a great
quantity, for example, by the National Railways Corporation and
other railway companies which deal with such slippers. These used
slippers will produce a poisonous gas to cause a public hazard in
case these are disposed of by way of combustion. In any events, the
conventional slipper 1 is very uneconomical in view of the fact
that this can not be recycled and fails to contribute to the
purpose of material-saving.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been provided to eliminate the defects and
disadvantages of the prior art. It is therefore an object of the
invention to provide a slipper having a sole made of a thick paper
such as a corrugated cardboard which is progressively tapered from
the foot inserting part of the instep to the heel part of the
slipper in such a manner that the heel part may be most enlarged to
the extent that the heel part is considerably wider than the width
of the user's foot in general, to thereby prevent the heel of the
user from protruding out of the heel part of the slipper, and thus
to prevent the socks of the user from being dirty even if the user
walks around, for example, in a long-distance train or relaxes
himself inclining his legs in the outward directions in the seat of
the train.
It is another object of the invention to progressively enlarge the
foot inserting part of the slipper from the toe toward the heel
part to enable the user to easily slip the foot inserting part
irrespectively of the size of foot, to enable the slipper to
spontaneously fit the foot of the user as well as to prevent the
slipper from slipping out from the foot of the user while the user
is walking around.
It is another object of the invention to provide pressed bend lines
at least at the toe and the heel end of the sole so that such parts
of the slipper may be spontaneously bent up along the pressed bend
lines respectively while the user is walking around, to thereby
prevent the toe and the heel end from being caught on the stepped
parts of the floorboards, and at the same time to prevent the toe
and heel of the user from being dirty even if the floor is more or
less wet.
It is another object of the invention to provide pressed bend lines
at the sole of the slipper on both sides of the foot inserting part
thereof in such a manner that if the user lightly pushes the both
sides of the foot inserting part by hand, a strained instep is
loosened to enable the user to slip the foot into the foot
inserting part of the slipper and simultaneously the parts of the
sole on both sides of the foot inserting part are bent up to partly
fit the foot of the user, to thereby additionally prevent the foot
from being dirty on the floorboard.
It is another object of the invention to provide the instep of the
slipper made of an extremely thin film of synthetic resin which
will produce little public hazard if the instep is disposed of by
way of combustion, thus to make the slipper easily disposable, and
which may be printed with any marks or characters for the purpose
of, for example, advertisement thus to heighten the commercial
quality of the slipper
It is still another object of the invention to provide the sole of
the slipper made of a thick paper such as a corrugated cardboard
which is elastic and keeps warmth to thereby make the slipper
comfortable to wear and at the same time to make the slipper
reclaimable, thus to contribute to the purpose of material
saving.
It is still anothet object of the invention to design the slipper
in a form to be most efficiently cut out from the material such as
the corrugated cardboard with a minimum waste being left behind and
simultaneously heighten the productivity of the slippers.
It is still another object of the invention to determine the
dimensions of the specific parts of the sole with predetermined
retes respectively, to thereby spontaneously define the total
length as well as the respective parts of the slipper, and at the
same time to be able to obtain the similar forms of slippers of
various sizes fitting the feet of the children as well as of the
adults.
It is still another object of the invention to simply adhere the
filmy instep to a flat sole in a strained condition to thereby
simplify the manufacture of the slipper with an extremely low cost,
i.e. approximately a sixth of the cost of the conventional
slippers.
In short, the present invention relates to a slipper comprising a
sole defined by an outlined edge and having a predetermined length
from the front end to the back end thereof, the sole being composed
of a toe of a predetermined width defining the front end thereof, a
foot inserting part having a predetermined minimum width located
adjacent to the toe and progressively and symmetrically enlarged to
a predetermined maximum width from the toe toward the back end of
the sole, the foot inserting part having pressed bend lines
extending slightly inside and along both edges thereof respectively
to define the opposite marginal parts which may be spontaneously
bent up when pressed to each other, a reduced part having both
sides connected to the end of maximum width of the foot inserting
part by edges extending with an acute angle from the end of maximum
width to the reduced part on both sides thereof, a heel part
progressively enlarged from the reduced part toward the back end of
the sole; and an instep arranged on the foot inserting part in a
strained condition, the instep being made of a filmy material and
having both sides adhered to the underside of the sole on both
sides thereof.
The other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following description of the preferred embodiments in
reference to the attached drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 and 2 relate to a conventional slipper, wherein
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the slipper in an unused condition
and
FIG. 2 is a view taken from II--II of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 through 8 retate to the present invention, wherein
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a slipper in an unused condition;
FIG. 4 is a view taken from IV--IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a vertically sectional partial view taken from V--V of
FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a vertically sectioned partial view taken from IV--IV of
FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the slipper; and
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a form of the slipper and a manner of
cutting out a number of forms from a material; and
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another embodiment of a slipper in an
unused condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will now be described in reference to the embodiment
as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7. A slipper 11 is composed of a sole 12 of
a length l from the front end to the back end thereof which is made
of a thick paper 13 such as a corrugated cardboard, and an
extremely thin filmy instep 15 which is placed in a strained
condition on a foot inserting part 14 of the sole 12 and has both
side ends 15a,15a adhered to the underside 14a of the foot
inserting part 14 on both sides 14c,14c thereof. The sole 12 has a
toe 16 of a width B3 defining the front end thereof. The foot
inserting part 14 is formed as progressively and symmetrically
enlarged with an angle A from the toe 16 toward a heel part 19 of
the sole 12 and terminates in an end part 14b of maximum width. The
sole 12 has a reduced part 18 connected to the end of the maximum
width of the foot inserting part 14 by edges 17,17 extending with
an acute angle from the end of the maximum width to the reduced
part 18 on both side thereof, the reduced part being of
approximately the same width with that of the toe 16. The heel part
19 is extended as progressively and symmetrically enlarged with the
same angle A with that of the foot inserting part 14 toward the
back end of the sole 12. The heel part 19 is provided with an
additional heel end part 20 defining the back end of the sole 12.
The toe 10 is defined by a transverse juncture 21 between the base
16a thereof and the front end of the foot inserting part 14. A pair
of pressed bend lines 22,22 are provided as extending from the
opposite ends of the juncture 21 to the intermediate points of the
acute angled edges 17,17 respectively to define marginal parts on
both side of the foot inserting part 14, so that the both sides
14c,14c of the foot inserting part 14 may be spontaneously bent up
along the pressed bend lines 22,22 as shown in FIG. 4 as the
slipper is used. A pressed bend line 23 is provided on the
transverse juncture 21 so that the toe 16 may be spontaneously bent
up as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, and also a pressed bend line 24 is
provided transversely between the end of the heel part 19 and the
heel end part 20 so that the latter may be spontaneously bent up as
shown in FIG. 6 and 7 as the slipper is used.
Particularly in reference to FIG. 3, the slipper 11 is designed to
have the following dimensions: The maximum width B1 of the foot
inserting part 14 approximately corresponds to 1/2 of the length l
of the sole 12; The width B2 between the pressed bend lines 22 at
the opposite juncture edges 17,17 between the end of maximum width
of the foot inserting part 14 and the reduced part 18 approximately
corresponds to 3/8 of the length l of the sole 12; The width B3 of
the toe 16 approximately corresponds to 1/4 of the length of the
sole 12; The minimum width B4 of the foot inserting part 14
approximately corresponds to 1/4 plus 10 mm of the length l of the
sole 12. The term "approximately" used in defining the dimensions
of the widths B1, B2 and B3 means that there may be a tolerance in
these widths between plus 10 mm and minus 5 mm.
The dimensional rates may be applied to the slippers of various
sizes in the following ways:
______________________________________ l B1 B2 B3 B4
______________________________________ 280 mm 140 mm 105 mm 70 mm
80 mm 260 130 97.5 65 75 240 120 90 60 70 220 110 82.5 55 65 200
100 75 50 60 180 90 67.5 45 55 160 80 60 40 50 140 70 52.5 35 45
______________________________________
Manufacture of the slipper is as follows: Particularly in reference
to FIGS. 3 and 8, the sole 12 of the slipper is cut out from a
material 26 such as a corrugated cardboard. Since the tapering
angle A of the foot inserting part 14 is the same with the tapering
angle A of the heel part 19, many forms of the sole 12 may be
laterally arranged on the material 26 adjacent to each other and in
the opposite direction with respect to each other as shown without
substantial spaces being remained therebetween. Thus a laterally
elongated unit pattern of sole forms is formed, and such unit
pattern may be arranged, for example, in two rows adjacent to each
other in the longitudinal direction of the sole. It is therefore
apparent that the material 26 may be quite economically utilized to
the maximum extent only with a minimum amount of waste being
remained such as the part 26b around the unit patterns and the
parts 26a between the unit patterns. Moreover the sole 12 may be
efficiently manufactured simply by cutting out the same from the
material 26 such as a corrugated cardboard, and accordingly the
manufacturing cost may be reduced to the minimum extent. Actually
the sole 12 may be produced in a large quantity from the material
26 only by preparing a pressing machine having an edge of the shape
which is identical with the outline 26c of the composite pattern of
soles 12 as shown in FIG. 8. The pressed bend lines 22, 23, 24 of
the sole 12 may be formed simultaneously when the sole is cut out
from the material 26 by the pressing machine.
Then the instep 15, which is made of a polyethylene film by way of
example, is adhered to the sole 12 is a strained state by means of
a proper automated machine. This adhering operation will be very
simple and efficient especially because the instep 15 need not be
cared for as to some degree of looseness thereof. Moreover the
instep 15 may be utilized for commercial advertisement by printing
thereon the name of a company providing the slipper. A name or
illustration of a commercial article, an advertising catchphrase,
etc.
The slippers 11 thus finished up are shipped in a certain quantity
with each pair being superimposed face to face at the underside
thereof. In this case, since the instep 15 is extremely thin, and
accordingly the slipper 11 is of the thickness substantially of
that of the material such as the corrugated cardboard, the slippers
11 will not be bulky and therefore efficient in transportation
resulting in cost reduction in the process of transportation.
Usage of the slipper 11 is as follows: The slipper 11 is sold in a
pair as superimposed face to face at the underside thereof. A
person who bought the slippers 11 presses the slipper by a hand on
both sides of the foot inserting part 14 toward each other. Then
the opposite edges 14c of the foot inserting part 14 are
spontaneously bent up at the respective pressed bend lines 22 as
shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 4, and the instep 15 is
loosened to an extent sufficient enough to allow the user to insert
his or her foot thereinto as shown in FIG. 7. As the foot inserting
part 14 is properly tapered, the slipper 11 is easy to wear and
will not be taken out from the foot while the user is walking. Thus
the slipper 11 is designed to be suitable for the children as well
as the adults.
While the user is walking, the toe 16 of the slipper 11 is
spontaneously bent up at the pressed bend line 23 due to the
vertical movement of the ankle, and the heel end part 20 is also
bent up at the pressed bend line 24. Therefore the toe 16 and the
heel end part 20 will not catch on the steps and the like on the
floor, thus to heighten the security of the user and also prevent
the foot from getting dirty even if the floor is more or less wet.
Further the opposite bent up edges 14c of the foot inserting part
14 will give the user a feeling of embracement and a sense of
confortability. Further the heel part 19, which is extended as
progressively enlarged from the reduced part 18 to the end of the
sole 12 and considerably wide, will prevent the foot of the user
from getting dirty even if the user make himself or herself at home
inclining the legs, for example, in the outward directions.
According to the invention, the widths B1, B2, B3 and B4 of the
slipper 11 are determined with predetermined rates respectively
with respect to the length l of the slipper. It is therefore
apparent that the slippers of different sizes may be very easily
manufactured substantially with a similar configuration in a wide
range from the children to the adults. The dimentional rates
determined by the invention have been obtained as the most suitable
ones after the result of many experiments and investigations in
pursuing the most comfortable and most practical slippers.
The slippers 11, which have been used, may be collected together to
be burnt up in an incinerator because the slippers 11 will not
produce a public hazard such as the poisonous gases. Otherwise
these slippers may be reclaimed in a new product. A large quantity
of slippers 11 deserted, for example, by the National Railways
Corporation will have a value of money conversion more or less
useful to secure the source of income. At least, the slippers 11
will not be the butts difficult to dispose of.
Now the slipper 11 has been described as having the heel part 19
which is flat at the upper face thereof. The heel part 19 may be
provided with a number of projections on the upper face thereof by
forming a number of pressed bend lines (not shown) directed from
the under face to the upper face of the heel part 19 so as to make
the heel part 19 unslippery. Otherwise such slip-proof projections
may be provided by applying a liquid synthetic resin to the upper
face of the heel part 19 and then drying up the resin.
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the invention, wherein the
slipper 11 has a heel part 19, end portion of which is defined by
an arcuated outline instead of being formed with the pressed bend
line 24 and the heel end part 20, and the juncture between the foot
inserting part 14 and the heel part 19 is defined by the opposite
curved lines 17,17 on both side thereof. With respect to the other
parts, the slipper 11 of this embodiment is same with the slipper
11 of the first embodiment.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the
same may be varied in many ways. Such variations and modifications
with not be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of
the invention and will be included within the scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *